Brake head



c. E. TACK BRAKE HEAD July 17, 1951 Filed Dec. 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l F 6 v. s

' INVENTOR. Cm! Z. ZZzc/f C. E. TACK BRAKE HEAD July 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 13, l947 JNVENTOR. Carl ZZZzc/ @iimrc Patented July 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE HEAD Garl E. Tack, Chicago, 111., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey 9 Claims.

This invention relates to railway brake equipment and has particular reference to a novel brake head.

At present the conventional brake head is designed to carry a 13 shoe, which is considered standard railway brake equipment. With the advent of modern high speed train operation, however, the trend is to increase the length of the shoe to 18% to improve braking efiiciency and to reduce the rate of shoe wear. Initially, that is, during the transition period, not many supply terminals will carry the larger type shoe in stock. Therefore it is necessary to provide a head which will carry both types of shoes, that is, the 13% and the 13 /2", the former being applied as an emergency replacement until an 18 shoe can be had.

It is the principal object of this invention to devise a brake head which will accommodate either type of shoe although normally intended for use with the larger shoe.

Another object of the invention is to design such a brake head which possesses the necessary strength to withstand the severe stresses imposed thereon in railway service, which is economical to manufacture, and which is adapted for assembly with railway car brake rigging presently in use.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a brake head with toe and intermediate lugs and auxiliary lugs formed and arranged for selectively mounting brake shoes of two different lengths.

Theseand other objects of the invention will be apparent from the specification and the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the novel brake head;

Figure 2 is a front elevation;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation; and

Figures 4 t 6 are sectional views taken substantially on lines 1-4, 5-5, and 6--@ of Figure 1, respectively.

Figures 7 and 8 are views comparable to Figure 7 illustrating the mounting of the smaller type brake shoe on the brake head and Figure 8 illustrating the mounting of the larger type brake shoe on the brake head.

Describing the invention in detail, the brake head, generally designated 2, is symmetrical about its transverse and longitudinal center lines and comprises spaced side walls 4 and t with in-' wardly offset portions 8, 3 and H3, H3 at their upper and lower ends respectively, said walls providing bearing portions 12 and I4 substantially centrally thereof aligned transversely of said walls, and. affording conventional mounting for the head on an associated pivot member (not shown). The walls 4 and 6 define the usual hanger slot iii therebetween within which may be received a supporting hanger (not shown) for connection with the pivot member, as will be readily understood by those skilled in theart.

A laterally extending reinforcing rib is is formed on rear edge of each offset portion 8 and lo, each rib following the contour of the rear edge of the associated portion and extending therewith to the forward edge of the associated Wall.

The walls t and s are connected by an arcuate transverse web it forming the front part of the head, the web 2% merging at its rear face with the forward edges of the side Walls 4 and S and the offset portions 3, 8 and Iii, l0 and at its upper and lower ends with the adjacent ends of the respective reinforcing ribs l8.

It will be observed that this construction strengthens the upper and lower ends of the brake head, which in the enlarged head, such as the one presently being described, are subjected to severe tension and compression stresses, the intermediate portions of the walls being stressed principally in compression between the pivot member and the brake shoe.

A pair of laterally spaced end or toe lugs 22, 22 are formed on the front face of web 20 at each end thereof. Between these pairs of toe lugs are formed spaced intermediate lugs 38, 38 extending transversely of the web 2i] and defining a slot or socket to therebetween substantially centrally of said web 2% for reception of the usual shoe lug 25 of shoe ill or 29 (Figures '7 and 8). Between each pair of toe lugs and the adjacent intermediate lug are formed laterally spaced auxil= iary lugs 24, 24, A lzeyway 28 of standard form extends through the intermediate lugs and between the auxiliary lugs M, 24 and the end lugs 22, 22, said lzeyway extending the full length of web 29 and being adapted to receive a conventional key 3i to connect the associated brake shoe with the head, the key extending through lug 25 of the associated brake shoe.

To strengthen the construction, each lug 24 may be connected to the adjacent intermediate lug by a bridge member 1M extending longitudinally of web 20 and depressed below the shoe seating surface 32 of the associated lug 30 and the shoe seating surface 34 of the respective lugs 2t. These surfaces 32 and 34 of lugs 30 and 24 with faces 35, 38 of lugs 22, 22 provide shoe seats as hereinafter described.

It will be noted that each pair of toe lugs 22 is spaced from the adjacent auxiliary lugs 24 longitudinally of web 25 to define a transverse slot or notch 38 therebetween, the slots 36 being of suflicient width to accommodate the end lugs 39, 39 of the standard 13%." brake shoe, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be understood that normally the bral-ze head shown is adapted to carry an 18 shoe, this shoe seating on its rear side against faces 32, 34 and 36 of the lugs; however, the 13%" shoe which is to be applied in emergencies will extend only beyond the ends of the auxiliary lugs 24 and seat only against faces 32 and 34, the respective end lugs 39, 39 of this shoe being received within,

the corresponding slots 38, 38 and seating as at 49, 40 on the remote ends of lugs 24, 24, as will be readily apparent from a consideration of Figure 7. On the other hand, the 18 shoe, which is identical with the standard 13%" shoe except that it is longer, will have the end lugs 4!, M thereof seat as at 42, 42 on the remote ends of the toe lugs 22, 22 with the central lug 25 of this shoe received in slot 25 for connection with the key.

Thus, it will be seen that the brake head heretofore described is adapted to accommodate shoes of two difierent lengths, is adequately strengthened at its ends, and is of simple design, which readily lends itself to economical manufacture.

The side walls 4 and 6 may be provided with laterally extending lugs 44, 44 at opposite sides of the respective bearing portions l2 and l 4 for positioning on either wall parts of a brake head balancing device such as shown and described in United States Patent No. 2,010,531, issued August 6., 1935, to Walter H. Baselt.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A bisymmetrical railway brake head adapted for selectively mounting brake shoes of different dimensions comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel vertical side walls, said walls having corresponding end portions thereof ofiset toward each other and having bearing portions intermediate said end portions aligned transversely of said head for mounting said head on I an associated brake member, reinforcing ribs integral with said end portions, a front web extending transversely of said side walls interconnecting the same at their forward edges and merging with the end portions thereof and with said ribs, a pair of laterally spaced end lugs at opposite ends of said front web, a pair of spaced intermediate lugs between said pairs of end lugs, and a pair of auxiliary lugs between each intermediate lug and pair of end lugs, said auxiliary and intermediate lugs being adapted for mounting an associated friction shoe of certain dimensions and all of said lugs being adapted for mounting a shoe of certain other dimensions.

2. A railway brake head comprising spaced substantially parallel side walls with inwardly offset end portions and having bearing portions intermediate said end portions aligned transversely of said head adapted for mounting the same on an associated pivot element, a flange on the rear edge of each end portion, each flange curving and extending with the rear edge of the related portion to the forward edge of the associated side wall, an arcuate front wall extending transversely of said side walls and merging at its rear side with the forward edges of said side walls and said end portions thereof andwith the adjacent ends of said flanges, and means on the front face of said front wall for mounting an associated friction member on said head.

3. A bilaterally symmetrical brake head comprising spaced substantially parallel side Walls defining a hanger slot therebetween and having inwardly offset end portions and bearing portions intermediate said end portions, a lateral flange on the rear edge of each end portion extending therewith to the forward edge of the associated wall, a front wall extending transversely of said side Walls and merging intermediate its ends with the adjacent edges of said side walls and merging adjacent its ends with the forward edges of the related end portions and merging at its ends with the forward ends of the adjacent flanges, and means on said front wall formed and arranged for mounting either of two brake elements of different lengths on said head.

4. A reversible brake head comprising a body having a pair of spaced substantially vertical side walls with bearing portions adapted for mounting said head on an associated brake beam, said side walls having offset top and bottom end portions, a front wall extending transversely of and merging with said side walls, flanges extending from said end portions and merging with said front wall, a plurality of shoe-supporting projections on said front Wall defining a keyway extending longitudinally of said head from end to end of said front wall, said projections being formed and arranged for mounting either of a plurality of brake shoes of different dimensions on said head.

5. A railway brake head having a pair of spaced substantially parallel side walls with bearing portions substantially centrally thereof aligned transversely 0f said head and adapted for mounting the same on an associated pivot member, a curved front wall extending transversely of said side walls and merging at its rear side with the forward edges thereof, said side walls having inwardly offset end portions and laterally extending side wall reinforcing members merging with said end portions and with said front wall, and means on said front wall for mounting an associated friction element on said brake head.

6. In a brake arrangement, a brake head including a wall with spaced intermediate lugs adjacent the center thereof and defining a cavity therebetween for reception of a securing member on an associated shoe, toe lugs at the ends of said wall, and auxiliary lugs between said intermediate and toe lugs, said auxiliary lugs being spaced from and defining notches with said toe lugs, said lugs being formed to mount either of two shoes of different lengths, one of said shoes being adapted to fit between said toe lugs and seat on said auxiliary and intermediate lugs and having end lugs for reception in said notches and engagement with said auxiliary lugs and having a securing member adapted to fit into said cavity, and the other of said shoes being adapted to seat against all of said lugs and having end lugs adapted to overlap said toe lugs and seat thereagainst and having a securing member adapted to fit into said cavity.

'7. A railway brake head comprising spaced substantially vertical walls, a front wall merging therewith and interconnecting the same, end auxiliary and intermediate lugs on said front wall formed and arranged for mounting either of a plurality of shoes of different longitudinal dimensions on said head, said walls having portions at their upper and lower ends offset toward each other, and laterally extending flanges merging with said portions and the adjacent ends of said front wall for strengthening said ends of said walls.

8. In an arrangement for alternatively mounting two shoes of different lengths, each shoe comprising a central securing lug and end lugs, the combination of a brake head having a wall with spaced intermediate lugs for reception therebetween of the securing lug of either shoe, toe lugs on said head for seating the end lugs of the larger shoe, and auxiliary lugs between said end and intermediate lugs for seating the end lugs of the smaller shoe.

9. A railway brake head comprising spaced side walls having bearing portions aligned transversely of said head and having inwardly ofiset end portions, and laterally extending flanges merging with said end portions at the rear edges thereof and extending with said rear edges to the forward edges of said walls to strengthen the ends of said side walls.

CARL E. TACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 979,623 Williams Dec. 27, 1910 2,172,565 Mitchell Sept. 12, 1939 2,255,728 Baselt Sept. 9, 1941 

